


Ocean Water and Red Fire

by Semerra



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adopted Keith (Voltron), Adopted Shiro (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Gay Keith (Voltron), Kinda, Modern Royalty, Multi, Prince Keith (Voltron), Prince Lance (Voltron), Slow Burn, not really enemies, they just don't like each other at first
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:02:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24830512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Semerra/pseuds/Semerra
Summary: Lance is the Prince of the Kingdom of Aqua de Oceano, a beach side Kingdom in the south, and is slowly preparing to take over his Fathers reign - as much as he really doesn't want to. He loves his Kingdom, but the only reason he is next to reign is over something he cannot control. One day he is called into a meeting with his Father and Grandfather, who inform him of an offer from King Aflor of the Kingdom of Red Fire. The offer? A unified alliance of the four kingdoms on the continent, of which three are already a part of. All that it would take is for Lance to meet Alfor's youngest adoptive son, Prince Keith.If it's just a meeting, what could possibly go wrong...?A lot. A lot could go wrong.
Relationships: Adam/Curtis/Shiro (Voltron), Allura/Lotor (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wait. Before you ask about The Angel Project, let me fill you in. I'm trash okay? I have the chapter pretty much done and I'm just lost on where to take it. Wanna know what I've been doing? *wildly gestures to this story and the witch au i'm probably gonna upload* I've been writing these.
> 
> I have the next chapter of this one written but I'm gonna see if people want me to continue this first. Same thing on the witch au (if I post it - if you want me to let me know!)
> 
> But please enjoy! This plot bunny has be jumping around in my head for a while and I was bored at work today. Lemme know what you think!

_“We need to strengthen our bonds with Red Fire, and to do so we’ve arranged you to meet with their youngest Prince and discuss the possibility of marriage between you both...Oh, don’t look at me like that, Lance.”_   
_____________________________________________________________________________________ 

Lance sighed happily, his eyes closing unconsciously as he felt the rays of the afternoon sun soak into his skin and send a pleasant tingle all across the already tanned expanse. It was days like this – a perfect sun, partially cloudy sky that was just enough for small moments of relief from the heat, and a mostly clear beach with the exception of one family and some surfers that were currently out on the water – that made Lance remember why he loved living by the beach. The breeze was just enough to ruffle his perpetually messy hair. 

Lance wished he could stay like this for hours upon hours, but a sudden shadow blocked the sun from hitting him and cut off the warm glow. Lance lazily opened his eyes, peeking up to stare at the figure looming above him. At first, he was only a shadow, but as Lance’s eyes adjusted to the light some features of the man's face began to appear. A square jaw was pulled tight and usually lazy eyes were pulled together in irritation, blue hair that was usually slicked back was sticking out in random directions due to the heat and a thin sheet of sweat covered the man's forehead. He stood with his hands on his waist and his shoulders squared, sending Lance an overall very annoyed vibe. 

“Blaytz...come on man, you’re blocking the sun.” 

He just continued to stare down at the tan boy before letting out a heavy sigh, “Me blocking the sun should be the last of your worries right now, Lance. Your Father has been looking for you everywhere and he was this close, “ he held up a large hand and pinched his pointer finger and thumb together for emphasis, “THIS CLOSE, to sending the yalmor out to find you.” 

Lance pushed himself up on his elbow but continued to look up at the man in sleepy confusion, “Why is he looking for me?” 

Blaytz only gave a slight shrug, “Don’t know. They just tell me to find you and I do. Now come on, get your stuff together and follow me.” 

“I know where to go to find my Dad. I don’t need you to escort me, ya know.” Lance lowered himself back down to lay flat, once again closing his eyes and trying to ignore the other man, “And you can tell him that if he wants to find me, I’m right where I always am.” 

He heard the man above him let out another sigh, “Lance, you don’t understand. It’s not just--” 

“Blaytz, this is the first time I’ve been to the beach in over a week. Just let me--” 

“It’s not just your Father looking for you Lance. It’s your Grandfather as well.” Blue eyes snapped open and Lance quickly sat back up, looking at the other with a shocked expression. Blaytz only nodded and his face quickly turned concerned, “When your Father called for me and I arrived to his office, your Grandfather was there as well. Whatever they were talking about was quite serious by the feeling of the room.” 

Lance felt his eyebrows pull together in concern and confusion; he was used to his Father looking for him – probably just for some kind of diplomacy lesson or to lecture him for spending too much time at the beach – but his Grandfather never was involved. He only was only ever part of the larger council meetings; embassy gatherings and defense briefings. For his Grandfather to be involved... 

Lance felt his stomach drop. 

He quickly began to gather his items without another word of protest. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________ 

The Castle of _Aqua del_ _Oceano_ never failed to leave Lance breathless, and he had lived there his entire life. Settled near the edge of the cliff, every floor had a near perfect view of the ocean and the open arch style windows allowed the smell and the sound of the water to permeate the entire space. The place was named after the ocean and every person who had ever walked its many halls and corridors has made sure it lived up to its name. 

The stone steps leading up to the structure where surrounded by lush greens and colorful, blooming flowers only found in the region. Lance let his hand drag against large leaves as he passed, keeping a steady pace behind Blaytz. The sounds of the ocean behind him usually calmed him if he was ever feeling anxious, but at the moment it did nothing to quell his racing mind. The two walked through a large arch nodding to another two men posted on each side, their kingdom crests glinting against the sun as they moved to let Lance and Blaytz pass. 

As they walked through the outer halls, Lance looked into open rooms where some staff worked diligently, paying them no attention as they passed. Lance loved every member of the castle staff, not just because they’ve been around his entire life, but he respected what they did and how hard they worked for his family. Some of them had been around since the time of Lance’s Grandfather and continued into his Fathers reign - again something Lance vastly respected about them – and the same ones had already pledge to be here until the next reign as well. The thought sent mixed emotions flowing through him. 

They turned a corner and entered into one of the internal halls that lead to a staircase. Blaytz slowed his pace to walk next to Lance and noted the strained look on the boy's features, “I don’t think you have anything to worry about.” 

Lance glanced up at him from the corner of his eye for only a moment before shrugging and letting out a puff of air, “If it was just Dad, I wouldn’t be worried. It would probably just be another lecture about being lazy or whatever. But...” 

“But because your Grandfather is present as well?” 

Lance nodded, “It’s gotta be something serious. Gramps usually doesn't get involved in the trivial stuff.” 

The large man stayed quiet and only offered Lance a nod as they reached the top of the stairway and entered into a large foyer. The burnt orange walls seemed to glow with the natural light pouring in from the large window opposite to the staircase and Lance felt himself relax slightly at the sight of the ocean through said window. Footsteps echoed around the room as they walked through one more arch to a hallway lined with paintings of past rulers, all in Lance’s bloodline. Every time he walked past them, he couldn’t help but explore their faces, searching for even a small similarity that tied them to him, but there was always just one – the bright, glowing blue eyes that everyone of their royal blood carried. Each ruler of the past had eyes that matched Lance, and when he was growing up his Grandfather told him that that’s why he was pushed harder than his two older brothers and sister, because while they were born first and held the blue eyes of the family, they did not have the glow that Lance had. They did not carry the “blessing” as his Grandmother had called it; and his siblings were more than okay with that. It left them to live the royal life, but they were free to do what they pleased and be what they wanted to be. Marco had already married one of Dad’s advisors' daughters and had two children, and Luis was working with the treasurers in the mint with a fiancé and child on the way. Veronica, being only two years older than Lance, was still his mother's right-hand and assisted her with her duties until she either married or she decided what she wanted to do. 

All of them carried the same blue eyes as Lance, but none of them shone quite as bright as Lance’s did. 

Sometimes he thought that what his Grandmother had called a “blessing” was a curse. He grew up watching his siblings go out and live their life and be somewhat free – but he never got to experience any of it until he was fourteen and he escaped to the beach for the first time after having a panic attack during a defense briefing in which he first heard about the turmoil that the Kingdom of Daibazaal had been causing their people and the surround areas while still under the rule of the tyrant, Zarkon. He remembered hearing of the death and the squander that the man had caused and the pain he felt for those people in his heart. He ran out of the room despite his Father and Grandfather calling out for him and kept running until he face planted in the warm sand. He remembers looking up and seeing the ocean, ebbing freely and the waves in the distance crashing against each other. 

But above all, he remembers the sound. Sure, he had heard it before but this was the first time he actually _heard_ it – the sound of the waves and language of the water. He just sat there and stared at the water, listening for what seemed like hours until Blayzt, his personal guard, came barreling through the brush on the back of a yalmor, screaming something about how nothing will happen to the young prince on his watch. By then Lance had calmed down enough to go back to the castle, and when he explained to his Grandmother about listening to the water and hearing the language it spoke, she just grabbed him by the cheeks and whispered how she knew he had been blessed. Apparently, that was something that all past reigns- including his Grandfather and Father- were able to do, and it just affirmed that Lance was supposed to ascend to the next reign. 

Lance wasn’t so sure sometimes, but he went along with it because in his mind, what else was he supposed to do? He couldn't reject his reign. Never in their line had someone rejected. 

Lance had been so lost in his thoughts he hadn’t noticed that they had arrived at his Father’s office and Blaytz was raising his hand to knock gently against the thick wooden door, “King Mateo, I have brought Prince Lance as requested.” 

They heard a quiet voice through the door tell them to come in, and Blaytz grabbed the bronze handle to push the door open, revealing Lance’s father sitting behind his desk with an annoyed look across his normally kind features, and Lance’s Grandfather sitting in one of the plush arm chairs across from the desk, turned to look at Lance with his own glowing blue eyes, standing out against wrinkled tan skin. Lance stepped around Blaytz to enter into the office and heard the door close quietly behind him. He was almost positive that as soon as the door closed, the man was going to have his ear pressed against the surface to try and hear what the King and the reign before where going to say to the twenty-one-year-old Prince. 

Lance crossed the room to sit in the chair opposite his Grandfather, leaning back into the blue-grey fabric before looking to meet his Father’s gaze, “Alright Pops, you got me here. What’s going on?” 

His Father just shook his head and let out a deep sigh, “I shouldn’t have had to call upon Blaytz to go and even find you. You should have been with Trigel for your Dalterian diplomacy lesson, but she stated that you had not shown up.” He looked at Lance over the rims of his readers, his eyes darting to the former reign before he settled back into his own chair and crossing his arms, “Your Grandfather and I needed to speak with you about certain matters.” 

Lance raised a brunette eyebrow and looked between his Father and Grandfather, “Clearly. That’s why I’m here.” 

He heard his Grandfather let out a small chuckle at the sarcastic tone he held and couldn't help the small smile that came over his lips. His Grandfather, King Donato, may be the former reign of one of the Kingdoms strongest periods, but he still had Lance’s back in some of his foolish moments – like talking back to his Father. 

King Mateo only glared at his own Father for a moment before turning his attention back to his son, “This is serious, Lance. And even though he may not act like it, your Grandfather knows this as well.” 

The old man just nodded and sat up a little straighter, eyeing his grandchild. Lance sighed and met his Father’s gaze, “Alright alright. What’s going on?” 

“As you know, Lord Lotor of Daibazaal just married King Alfor of Red Fire’s daughter, Princess Allura, solidifying the alliance and peace treaty between them.” Lance nodded and his Father continued, “And that his eldest adoptive son, Prince Shirogane married...” his Father paused for a moment to sigh again, “Premier Sanda of the Garrison’s ward, Lord Curtis _and_ the Captain of her guard, Sir Adam – again solidifying the alliance between Alfor’s kingdom and Sanda’s territory.” 

Lance again nodded and raised an eyebrow toward his Father, “Yes, of course I know that. We went to both of the weddings. Dad, have you finally lost it? You’re making less sense than Gramp’s.” 

His Father only raised his hand to motion to his son to let him continue, “I’m well aware that we went to the weddings, Lance, but that’s not the point I was trying to make.” He lowered his hand and brought the other to lace his fingers together, leaning forward to rest his weight against the desk, “King Alfor has made alliances with two of the three other kingdoms in the land...and he has personally contacted me with an offer.” 

Lance just blinked and looked between his Father and Grandfather, who honestly looked like he was going to fall asleep at any moment, “An offer for what? For an alliance?” 

King Mateo only nodded slightly, “King Alfor has one more adoptive child – a son.” 

“Wait what? Are you trying to tell me that the other two marriages of his children were both arranged? Just for an alliance?” 

His Father shook his head, “Contrary to how it sounds, they were not arranged. Lord Lotor was supposedly courting the Princess even before his Father’s passing, and Shirogane had known the two from the Garrison from a very early age, before Alfor adopted him and before Lord Curtis became Sanda’s ward. So in all honesty, both of the relationships were well developed and real. But as I said, Alfor has reached out to me with an offer. Since three of the four kingdoms are already united and allied, he brought the idea of unifying the entirety of the kingdoms and making the land unified. We would still have all our own territories and land, but there would be no conflicts between our houses – a completely unified continent.” 

Lance had unconsciously begun to lean foreword to listen to his Fathers words closely, absorbing the information and letting it process through his brain. A completely unified continent, but each kingdom would keep their land and independent rule... 

The only point that crossed Lance’s mind that could be a negative was - 

“But wouldn’t that make Red Fire in some stances superior? All the marriages would be within his own line, making all the ties go through Red Fire.” 

“I thought about the same thing, my son. But even as I brought that point up to Alfor, he assured me that though the marriages would all be centered through Red Fire, all the Kingdoms would remain independent – the only things that would bind us, and the alliances, would be the marriages and any children born or taken in during those marriages.” 

Lance felt himself nod and sink back into the chair, “So what was the decision? Are you advising in me and then going to talk to Veronica about it or something?” 

He watched as his Father and Grandfather exchanged glances and then both turned to look at the Prince. Lance felt his skin begin to crawl at their gazes, “What?” 

“Red Fire is an exceptionally powerful kingdom even without the alliances; they’re the oldest of the four kingdoms and have a long and very triumphant history. While our kingdom is in no way weak nor young, we need to strengthen our bonds with Red Fire,” his Father stopped to study his reaction to the statement, and when he found just more confusion in Lance’s expression, he continued, “And to do so we’ve arranged you to meet with their youngest Prince and King Alfor and discuss the possibility of marriage between you both...Oh, don’t look at me like that, Lance.” 

Lance had stopped listening as soon as the words _marriage between you both_ left his Fathers mouth. He could feel the heat rising in his stomach and felt a warm flush of anger cover his face, “Are you serious? Me? Why?!” Lance stood suddenly and slammed his palms against the surface of his Fathers desk, feeling a tinge of pride at the shocked expression on the Kings face, “Why not Veronica?! She’s part of your bloodline too! She’s royal! Send her to meet with the guy! She’d probably be all for it since she’s always complaining about having to help Mom! What happened to me taking over your reign when you decide to step down? Huh?! Was all the training and classes and hell I have been through for nothing now that you’ve received this offer?” 

His Father stood and gave Lance an almost pained expression, “Please Lance, it’s nothing like that. King Alfor asked-” 

“Asked what? That we give up our line to make his stronger? Or did you put my name in this yourself because you don’t think I can take over your reign! Is that it, Dad?” 

“Please listen to me -” 

“No, I absolutely refuse! You cannot barter me off to another kingdom just because they are older and a little stronger than us! Make Veronica do it! I refu-” 

“ _Mi_ _hijo_ , sit down and listen to us.” 

Lance and his Father both looked at the old King, who was only staring at his Grandson with a gentle expression. Lance felt a small flare of pain run through his chest; even his Grandfather was against him in this? 

“ _Mi_ _hijo_. Your Father in no way thinks that you are uncapable of taking over his reign, and this offer came to us as a shock as well. King Alfor asked for you specifically to be the one to meet his son. I believe he said that you two are the same age and have many similarities, so all he asked for was a meeting.” He turned to give the current King a sour look, “You shouldn’t have said that the discussion of marriage would happen, because it will not happen yet. King Alfor simply wants them to meet and become acquainted. There will be no talk of marriage until they are ready. Even Alfor said that he wanted this to be a natural relationship, just like his other two children. He does not simply want to throw away one of his children just for the sake of an alliance. Even if the two were not to wed, we have no quarrel with Red Fire and no reason for there to ever be one if this does not bear fruit. Do you understand me, my grandchild? We are not forcing you do marry; we are simply asking you to meet the boy.” 

Lance felt the anger inside him cool instantly at his Grandfathers explanation. He sat back down in the chair and brought his elbows to rest on his knees, letting his face drop into his hands. A meeting he could do, but to talk of marriage between him and another person, male or otherwise, was completely out of the question for him. Lance isn’t against the idea of marriage, but as his Grandfather said, he wanted his to happen naturally – not for the sake of some alliance that could break in the future. He felt his knee begin to bounce as the anxiety began to pool in his stomach. 

“Can I be excused? I need some time to think. I’ll except the terms of the meeting, but if there is any talk of- of _marriage,”_ the word even hurt for Lance to say, “I’m leaving the meeting.” 

His Father, who had also sat back down in his chair, only nodded and watched as Lance stood and walked to the door. He reached for the handle but froze for a moment with his hand hovering over the bronze, “What...what is Alfor’s sons name?” 

“I believe his youngest son, who he adopted from Daibazaal during Zarkons reign, is named Keith.” 

Lance only nodded once before pulling the door open and exiting into the hallway, brushing past Blaytz who had positioned himself next to the door and taking off in a sprint down the hall. The blue haired man only looked into the office to the King, asking silently if he should go and recover the young Prince again. King Mateo only shook his head. 

As Lance raced down the halls, he could feel the anxiety rise into his throat and he let out a large shout that echoed off the walls around him. Why was he getting so worked up? All he had to do was meet the other Prince and his part of all of this would be done; why was he feeling like his entire world was falling out from underneath him and there was nothing to do to stop it. He turned a corner and almost took out one of the castle workers who was sweeping the floor, muttering an apology that probably didn’t even make it to the persons ears because of how fast he was running. He needed to see the ocean. He needed to hear it and let its words ease him. 

He just needed to see it and everything would be alright. 


	2. Red Fire

It was raining in Red Fire.

Not that it was unusual, but it just seemed as if the sky was sympathizing with Keith. Like it was shedding tears for him because it knew that he just had been through a traumatic event. His life would never be the same and he would be forever changed because of it; the scars the event left on his memories would never leave him.

He had been forced to sit through a family lunch called for by  Alfor , and during said meal the King decided to grill Allura and  Lotor about when he was going to get grandchildren and that he wasn’t getting any younger, launching him into another tangent about how he and his late wife, Queen  Melenor , met and how their relationship had grown. Keith had just placed his head against the table and tried to block out the sounds of his adoptive Father talking; and he had the right mind to assume that his  siblings and their partners were doing the same. Curtis, one of Shiro’s husbands, had taken pity on him and  announced to the table that Keith looked like he wasn’t feeling well. Keith had taken the hint and played up one of his migraines, knowing his family would buy into it with how often he did get them, and excused himself from the table to go and lay down in his room.  Alfor had given him a very concerned look and told him to have someone come fetch him if the migraine got any worse. 

Thus, leading to Keith hiding on the covered portion of his balcony and watching the rain as it fell in sheets against the landscape of  Arus Valley. He sat himself down on the thick railing and had pulled his knees up to his chest, head resting against the white stone wall and eyes trained to the distance. The sounds of the rain hitting against the castle and the trees surrounding the grounds had almost  lulled him into a peaceful daydream when the quiet sound of someone knocking against his door broke him of the trance. He turned his head to glance at the door, silently willing whoever it was to go away and to leave him be. But when the person knocked again, he sighed quietly and swung his legs to hang off the inside of the railing.

“It’s open.”

He tried to mutter the words as quietly as he could in hopes that the person would not hear him, but when the door pushed open slowly to reveal the white fringe of his elder brother, Shiro, who looked around the room for a moment before his dark grey eyes finally landed on Keith through the balcony doors. He entered the room and quietly closed the door behind him before making his way toward the double doors; Keith noted the way he scanned the room as he walked, noting the slightly unkempt state. Keith honestly couldn’t be bothered to clean everyday like Shiro did and he had never really liked people touching his belongings. 

“Hey, is your head feeling any better?” The older man had stopped at the balcony doors, leaning against the wooden frame and giving Keith a slightly concerned look. The  black-haired boy only nodded and turned his attention back out toward the rain, the sound of distant thunder pulling him back in. Shiro looked to him for only a moment longer before he crossed onto the balcony and sat down against the railing opposite Keith, “Are you still thinking about what  Alfor talked to you about the other day?”

Keith felt himself tense up at mention of the conversation, his fist clenching so tight his knuckles turned white and he felt a small trace of heat bloom in his cheeks. 

“I don’t  wanna talk about it, Shiro.”

His brother just sighed and gave Keith a sad expression, “I know you don’t Keith, but you’re going to have to at some point.  According to  Alfor the Prince of  _ Aqua de  _ _ Oceano _ __ already accepted the terms of the meeting.” Shiro paused for a moment before laughing to himself quietly, “Though I did hear that he reacted almost exactly the same way you did at first – minus the swearing.”

Keith finally met his brothers gaze and felt his brows crease in confusion, “He already accepted? Is he that eager to marry or his he just plain stupid?”

Shiro shook his head, “Neither. From the  response Alfor received from King Mateo, it seems like he only agreed to the meeting. Stated that if there was any talk of marriage he would leave  immediately .”

Keith scoffed quietly, “Then it seems like he’s already agreed to more than what I have. He’ll have to have the meeting with  Alfor only.”

Shiro gave him a strong disapproving look and crossed his arms across his broad chest, making Keith roll his eyes, “Keith you know that isn’t fair.  Alfor told you multiple times that it was just a meeting to see if you two even clicked and nothing more than that. You know he wouldn’t push you into something you didn’t want to do or something he thought would be bad for you.”

Keith sent a glare toward his brother, “If that was the case, he wouldn’t even make me meet the guy. He’s trying to sell me off for the alliance and that’s it.”

Shiro’s eyes suddenly turned dark and his eyebrows furrowed, “ Alfor wouldn’t do that, Keith. You and I should know that better than anyone, so please refrain from speaking about the man who adopted us in such a negative  connotation .”

Keith felt his eyes widen slightly at the words as he took in the tone of Shiro’s words. He knew that Shiro had immense respect and gratitude toward the King of Red Fire for adopting him from nothing and raising him to become a picture-perfect Prince that was loved by the people of his kingdom. He had the same respect and would be forever thankful for the King, but this situation was not just something Keith could just nod and accept his adoptive Father’s wishes. This was his life, and even if  Aflor continuously assured him that it was just a meeting for the two Princes, Keith wasn’t going to be a part of it. 

“Shiro, you don’t understand. I get that he just wants us to meet for now...but that’s just for  _ now _ . We could meet and either completely hate each other or get along somewhat, and then what happens?  Alfor and King Mateo just drop it? They’re  gonna push us to continue talking even if we hate each other.” He shook his head and sent an almost pleading look to his brother, “At least you, Curtis and Adam knew each other from when you were kids. Even Allura and Lotor knew each other before Zarkon went off the deep end and have always had a thing for each other. But why do I have to be a part of some arrangement with someone I don’t know and do not want to know? It’s not fair.”

As the words stopped spilling from his lips, he realized just how fast he had been speaking and felt himself inhale deeply, but he kept his gaze locked on Shiro to try and read his reaction to Keith's words. His brother only looked at him sadly, nothing to say to refute the youngers statement. The black-haired boy only shook his head once again and pulled his legs up to sit fully on the railing once more, turning away from the other.

“What if I made you a deal?”

Shiro said it quietly, but Keith was still able to hear the words over the sound of the rain, pricking his  curiosity just enough to look back at his brother, “A deal?”

Shiro nodded, “You take part in the meeting, and I’m not saying that you even have to say anything to the guy...but you take part in it none the less and I’ll convince  Alfor to let you fix up that old hover bike you found at that trade mart in town.”

Keith  leapt off the railing toward his brother the moment he was finished speaking, stopping only a step or two away from the others face, “There is no way you can convince him. I tried everything and he still had it taken to the sheds.”

Shiro just smirked and shrugged slightly, “I have my ways, my young brother. How do you think I was able to marry  _ both _ of my boyfriends?  Alfor was going to refuse at first, but in the  end I got to marry both of the men I love.”

Keith just continued to stare at his brother as the idea ran through his mind. Shiro did have a point –  Alfor was going to make him choose between Adam and Curtis to begin with, and one day out of the blue he  announced that the Prince would be marrying both of the Garrison nobles. He felt his brows furrow and he pursed his lips, “So do we have a deal?”

Keith looked away for a moment to glance at the rain still falling heavily from the sky, letting the sound relax his mind; in the back of his brain he  briefly wondered if the ocean sounded anything like rain. He sighed and fixed his gaze back on his brother, “Where is Alfor?”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

As Keith  approached the doors of the Kings personal  office, he could hear his heartbeat drumming in his ears. He was slightly upset with himself for accepting Shiro’s deal, but if it would allow him to get his hover bike and have something to occupy his time with, he would be willing to at least go to the meeting.

Like Shiro said also – it wasn’t like he had to actually talk. He just had to go. 

When he stopped in front of the set of large white double-doors, the two large  Sentinels posted on either side bent down in the low bow and both muttered a quiet greeting to the Prince. Keith nodded and looked toward the one on the right, “Is my Father inside?”

The large man simply nodded before his gaze returned to the front. Keith took a small step  forward and knocked lightly on the door, waiting for the voice within to tell him to enter. When it did, Keith turned the silver knob and pushed against the heavy surface, opening to reveal the King sitting at his desk, papers scattered all around him and a pair of glasses perched on his nose. He looked up, then back down at the papers, and then his head shot up again when he realized who was standing before him.

“Keith! What are you doing here? Is your head feeling any better?”

Keith entered into the room and the door was quietly shut behind him by one of the Sentinels, leaving him to stand awkwardly before his adoptive father; his fingers fiddled with the sleeves of his loose black shirt. The King just simply looked at him with an equally confused and concerned expression, “Keith? Are you okay?”

He just nodded and took another step closer to the King, “Yeah, I’m fine. My head felt better after I slept a little.”

Alfor nodded and leaned back in his chair, “I’m glad to hear that. I know that those migraines of yours can be pretty debilitating.” His expression returned to his normal calm and composed state as he continued to look at his son, “So what brought you down here then?”

Keith bit the inside of his cheek as he tried to think of the words he wanted to say. It was easy enough to tell Shiro he partially agreed to the meeting, but telling  Alfor was different. He didn’t want him to get the wrong idea and think that Keith was suddenly all for marrying a complete stranger from another kingdom. “I uh...I wanted to talk to  you about...”

He glanced up at the King just in time to see him raise a white brow.

“I thought about it...and I’ll meet the Prince from  _ Aqua de  _ _ Oceano _ .”

Alfors faced fell into a look a shock for only a moment before shifting to happiness. He stood from his chair and walked around to the front of the desk, “Keith, this is fantastic! I’m glad you changed your mind. I promise that Prince Lance is a very nice and respectable man, and I’m sure that-”

“I will meet him, but I cannot promise that I will speak to him.”

The Kings face fell slightly, but he nodded, “I understand what you are saying Keith. But please at least give it a chance. I already gave you my word that I wasn’t going to force anything between you two, and I will keep my word on that. I’ve talked to King Mateo and he is in agreeance with me on that fact. He too does not want to force his son into something he does not want. But think of it this way...even if some kind of feelings were not to develop, at least you’ll have made a friend outside the kingdom.”

Keith felt his chest tighten slightly at the words. He knew  Alfor meant nothing bad when he said it, but Keith couldn’t help the twinge of sadness that he felt. Before  Alfor adopted him when he was eleven, he ran the streets of  Daibazaal with nothing but the clothes he had been wearing the day his parents were killed. He had been cold, filthy and alone until one day he had been running from a cabbage merchant he had stolen some scraps from and skidded into the busy street.

And right in front of the path of King  Alfor of Red Fires caravan.

As the white car came to a  screeching halt in front of him, the only thing he remembers thinking was that at least he would see his parents again, and he wouldn’t be alone anymore. But the impact never came and instead he heard the sound of car doors being slammed shut and being taken in by a warm embrace. It had been the first time he met Allura, and all he could do was wonder why this stranger cared for him and why he so  desperately wanted to cling to her warmth.  Alfor had come from the car next and. .. well the rest is pretty obvious. 

“I will let King Mateo know that you’ve accepted the meeting and we will arrange it. Mateo has already let me know that Prince Lance does not mind it being held in Red Fire, so at least you can rest easy about being in your own home.”

Keith only nodded once more, peeking up from under black bangs to look at the King. He was looking back at Keith with a soft expression, “Thank you, Keith.”

Keith released the breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding, “You don’t need to thank me. Now if I may be excused...”

He turned to leave but  Alfor’s voice stopped him, “Wait, before you do.” He circled back around his desk and opened up one of the drawers, searching through its contents before pulling a small key from within and holding it out to Keith. The  black haired man only blinked and raised an eyebrow, tilting his head in confusion.  Alfor only laughed and tossed the key to Keith, who fumbled to catch it but did none the less, studying it for a moment before  Alfor spoke again, “It’s the key to the sheds in the back of the grounds.”

It took Keith a moment to process what the King had said, but as the words played in his head, he felt his face erupt in a large smile, “Really??”

Alfor nodded, “Yes, now go and fiddle with that death trap you call a hover bike before I come to my senses.”

Keith was out the door and rushing past the Sentinels before the King was even finished speaking. 


	3. Water Works

When Lance's Father had told him that the Prince of Red Fire had finally agreed to the terms of the meeting, he couldn't help the fluttering feeling he felt in his stomach. He wouldn't say he was nervous, nor was he excited by any means, but rather he was simply uneasy about the entire thing. His Father had assured him that the Prince of Red Fire had also made the claim that he would only go to the meeting to speak - _if even that much_ \- with Lance, and it made him feel somewhat better about this entire situation. But none the less, Lance found himself sitting at his favorite place on the beach, a small area hidden away by some rocks and overgrown greenery but had a perfect view of the water that was currently reflecting the moonlight and stars. He only ever came to this spot when he wanted to do nothing but let the ocean speak to him and quell his restless mind. 

Tonight it was almost singing to him, a quiet melody that floated in the air and threatened to lull him to sleep right on the sand. But he wanted to continue listening to the song and commit it to memory like he did with every word the ocean told him. 

He let himself breathe in deeply, the salty air helping to calm his nerves and finally letting his muscles relax after being tense since the meeting with his Father and Grandfather. He was grateful that they understood his hesitation and respected the fact he was not going to be a part in some arranged marriage, but he knew that once he met the Prince of Red Fire his Father was going to be up his ass about seeing the other man as much as possible regardless of whether or not they even remotely like each other. He had tried to wrack his brain for any memory of ever seeing the youngest Prince of Red Fire, or Keith he supposed he should be calling him, but he would not come up with anything except for a fleeting glance during Allura or Shiro's weddings. He asked his siblings if they knew anything of the Prince, and combined they only knew that he had been adopted by King Alfor from Daibazaal when he was very young and that he was a quiet person that didn't like to be around large crowds; which would make sense as to why Lance had never noticed him around – because he wasn’t there. Not that Lance could blame him, he hardly wanted to be present for half of the events that his parents dragged him to. 

But it also made Lance wonder what kind of person Keith was. Was he nice? Or was he a low key prick? He knew that Allura and Shiro were known for being extremely kind people, so what was their sibling like? He shook his head and brought his hands up to clap against his cheeks, _I_ _gotta_ _stop thinking about this. It’s not a big deal. It’s just a meeting with another Prince from another Kingdom._

He looked up at the moon, giving it almost a pleading look for help in his current internal conflict. But of course, he was only met with the sounds of the waves gently washing against the sand. Lance sighed once more and pushed himself up from his lounging position. He brushed the sand off of the back of his pants and grabbed his shoes from where he has slipped them off by the rocks, ducking around the greenery to enter back onto the main part of the beach, but he stopped short when he noticed that someone else was still at the beach other than him. 

As he approached the person, he raised an eyebrow as the persons features became clearer until he finally realized the person sitting on the sand and staring at the water was Veronica. He walked slowly and as he came to stand next to her, her attention was drawn away from the water to look up at her younger brother, “Lance? What are you doing out here?” 

He sat down next to her and gave her a confused look, “I should be asking you the same thing...” 

She puffed her cheeks out a bit and crossed her arms, “Well you’re always talking about how going to the beach helps you relax and helps you clear your mind and collect your thoughts...so I thought I would try it.” 

“And? Is it helping any?” 

She shook her head slightly and sighed, “Not at all.” 

Lance’s expression shifted to one of sadness and he nodded only once, “I’m sorry, Ver.” He studied the troubled expression on his sister's face and couldn’t help the worried feeling in his gut. Veronica was confident in almost everything she did, so for something to be troubling her, it had to be something serious, “Wanna talk about it? Maybe I can help?” 

She gave Lance a sideways glance before looking back out at the water, “Do...do you remember when Lord Lotor passed through a few months ago? And Dad invited him for dinner?” 

Lance nodded and thought back to when she was talking about. It was a few weeks before Allura and Lotor’s wedding and the man was on his way to Red Fire. He had to pass through _Aqua de_ _Oceano_ to get to the Kingdom and when he called Dad to let him know he would be entering our territory, Dad had invited him and his accompanying Generals for dinner to rest a bit before they continued their travels. Lotor had accepted and spent the night within the castle. 

“Well the night that they came for dinner, I ended up running into one of the Generals in the hallway. I was carrying some food to take to Kultenecker and we came around the corner at the same time and I ended up spilling the food _all over_ her.” Lance felt a laugh bubble in his throat, but he quickly squashed it back when Veronica gave him a dirty look, “I freaked out and ended up dragging her back to my room to help clean her up. And as I was trying to help, we ended up talking for almost an hour about random things.” 

“Which one of the Generals was this? It wasn’t Zethrid right? If it was, I’m surprised you aren’t dead. That is a terrifying woman.” 

Veronica shook her head, “No, it was Axca, his lead General.” 

The look that must have crossed Lance’s face made Veronica groan and put her head in her hands, “I know, I know! But she wasn’t angry, if anything she was confused. But when we were talking, she relaxed a bit and...well...” 

Lance raised a brown brow at his sister, silently willing her to complete her sentence. If he was to guess where this story was going, Veronica and the General must have hit it off pretty good during their talk, “What happened? Did you guys make out or something?” 

She whipped her head to look at her brother, a bright red flush even visible in the moonlight spreading on her cheeks, “W-What?! N-N-No! Lance! Have some decency! We just talked, but when she was finally done getting cleaned off and everything was dry and she was leaving, she said she wouldn’t mind if we continued our conversation another time and she gave me her _personal_ number.” Lance felt his eyes widen slightly at Veronica’s next words, “And we’ve been talking pretty much every day since then. I think I like her.” 

The silence that settled between them was suffocating for only a moment before Lance spoke again, “You sure know how to pick them, Ver. One of Lotor’s Generals, huh?” 

She sighed and closed her eyes, “I know...” 

“Have you told Mom or Dad yet?” 

She looked at Lance again, her brows furrowing in frustration, “Of course not. It’s not like we’ve known each other a long time, and besides that one time we have never spoken to each other in person. Not even at Lotor and Allura’s wedding because she was working and couldn’t be distracted. You know Dad would never approve at this point in time.” 

Lance couldn’t help but nod at the statement. While the King was an understanding and kind man- he wasn’t easy to deal with when it came to his children's partners. It took him almost a month to come to terms that Marco had been courting someone without his consent, and when Luis had introduced his girlfriend (now fiancé) to the King, he didn’t speak to his son for a week. It’s not that he does not like the people his children choose, he has told us that he wishes that we come to him for approval before we “progress” the relationship further. Lance couldn’t help but scoff at the memory of what his Father said and what he is trying to get Lance to do by meeting with the Prince of Red Fire. He turned his attention back to his sister and raised a hand to rest it reassuringly on her shoulder, “I don’t think you have anything to worry about, Ver. If you like her, then good for you! She would be crazy to not like you back, and by the sound of it, there is a high possibility that she does. Just keep talking to her and don’t let your feelings for her scare you away and ruin something that might happen.” 

Veronica looked at Lance and gave him a weak smile, “You should remember those words when you meet Keith. Don’t let feelings scare you away from something good that might happen.” 

The boy only groaned and flopped back on the sand dramatically, “Veeeer! Why did you have to bring that up?” She only laughed and turned to poke her brother in the side, causing him to let out a high-pitched yelp, “Hey!” 

“Get over it, Princess. It’s one meeting for a few hours and then you’re done.” 

“You don’t know that! For all you know as soon as the first meeting is done, Dad and King Alfor are gonna be scheming the second meeting and then the third and then pretty soon they’re planning an arranged marriage. I’m going back to my room!” The boy scrambled to his feet and began to dramatically stomp away from his sister, but he couldn’t help the small smile that came over his face when he heard Veronica whisper a small ‘Thank you’. He laughed quietly to himself when he was out of earshot and stopped for a moment on the stone steps to look up at the moon. 

_I wonder what Veronica would say if I told her that the ocean had been listening to her talk, and the words he said were what the ocean wanted to tell her..._

_____________________________________________________________________________________ 

Lance awoke the next day to someone knocking at his door. 

At first he thought it was just a dream, so he rolled over and hugged one of the multitude of pillows he had on his bed closer to his chest. But when the noise came again, he groaned loudly and rose slowly to look toward the door, “Who is it?” 

“ _Mi_ _hijo_ _,_ may I please come in?” 

Lance instantly sat straight at the sound of his Grandfathers voice. Why was he here? He looked at the clock next to his bed, seeing it was only seven-thirty in the morning. He raised an eyebrow and wracked his brain for any answer as to why his Grandfather would be knocking on his door so early – there wasn’t any Defense Council meetings today and he didn’t have any lectures to attend on Saturdays, so what was going on? 

“Give me a moment _Abuelo,_ I just got out of bed.” 

He flipped the blanket off his legs and quickly scurried over to his dresser, pulling out a pair of dark blue sleep pants and pulling them on. Lance slept with his window open at night so he could hear the water, but it caused his room to get a little humid throughout the night so he usually just slept in a pair of briefs. But like any normal person, he did not want his Grandfather to see him in all his glory so he quickly dressed before walking to the door and turning the knob. It opened to reveal not only his Grandfather standing before him, but his Grandmother as well, standing quietly next to him and giving Lance a gentle smile when their eyes met. 

“ _A-Abuela!_ When did you get back? I thought you were going to be in the Balmera Islands for a few more weeks!” The older woman only gave a small laugh and moved forward to embrace Lance, who instantly hugged the woman back, but was careful not to squeeze her frail form to tightly, “I got back last night, _mi_ _joven_ _._ I tried to come and see you, but Blaytz had informed me you had gone to the beach already.” 

Lance felt himself smile down at her, “I’m sorry, _Abuela_ . I had a lot on my mind last night so I went to clear my head.” The former Queen only smiled and waved her hand slightly, “No need to be sorry, _mi_ _hijo_ _._ ” 

Lance felt his smile grow as he released her from his hold and looked toward his Grandfather, “What are you doing here anyways? Not that I mind, but it’s super early.” The elder man just smiled mischievously at his Grandson and raised an eyebrow, “Did you forget what today is, _mi joven?”_

Lance reached up to scratch at his cheek as he tried to remember what his Grandfather was referring to; there was nothing that he knew of going on today, and it wasn’t anyone within the castles birthday or anything, so he just ended up giving the former reign a blank look and shrugged his shoulders. This caused the man the let out a small chuckle and his eyes scanned Lance’s room before landing on something behind him. Lance turned and followed his gaze toward a set of pack bags resting against the wall next to his balcony doors, his eyes widening as he finally remembered what his Grandfather was talking about. He, his Father and Grandfather would be leaving for Red Fire today, and would be staying there for two days. He internally groaned as he vaguely remembered his Fathers words from yesterday - 

“ _Now that Prince Keith has agreed,_ _Alfor_ _has arranged for us to stay there for two days. We will be leaving later tomorrow morning and getting there the day after tomorrow. I will have_ _Bibobi_ _pack your bags...Lance! Are you listening to me?”_

He was in fact, not listening. 

He turned back to his Grandparents and gave them a pleading look, “Are we really leaving right now? I thought Dad said we would be leaving later in the morning?” 

The former King just let out another chuckle, “We won’t be leaving until around nine. But your Grandmother wanted to see you before we left, and we were already up and about.” 

Lance nodded his head and he looked between the two, “Let me get dressed and we can go down and have breakfast?” They both gave him bright smiles and nodded in return before turning and walking back down the hall toward the large staircase that lead from the family wing down to the main foyer. Lance closed the door after watching them begin to descend the stairs, glaring at the packed bags against the wall; he had gotten back to his room so late last night that he hadn’t even noticed them. Bibobi was slick sometimes and moved so smoothly that Lance swears he just skids around rather than walked. He took the few steps it required to enter his bathroom, flicking in the light and studying his appearance in the mirror. He supposed that if he would be meeting the Red Fire court he might as well look good – the thought made him smirk confidently at his own reflection, _well better looking than he already was._   
_____________________________________________________________________________________ 

_Two hours later_

Lance sat in the back of one of the families armored Humvees, looking out the window toward his Father who still stood on the steps of the castle, speaking into his phone with who he presumed was King Alfor, letting him know that they were about to depart _Aqua de_ _Oceano_ for Red Fire. His voice was animated as he talked, Lance being able to catch something about playing a game of chess and having a glass of nunvill ‘like old times’. Lance couldn’t help but roll his eyes; was this trip for this stupid meeting or for his Father to catch up with Alfor in person? 

A few minutes later, Blaytz opened one of the doors and climbed in next to Lance. He and his guard would be riding in their own vehicle, while the King and the former reign would be in the bigger car in front of them. While there wasn’t a _real need_ to use the armored vehicles, his Father always insisted. 

_‘You never know when someone who is disgruntled enough is going to try something extreme.’_

While his Father is a good and fair King, Lance always noticed him to be entirely to paranoid of small things. There was a time when Lance was rather young, that a small group of people within town were upset with some bill that was being introduced and so they began to make threats against the town and the castle. They didn’t cause much issue other than a few fights in the streets, but the mere thought of unease made his Father extremely paranoid to the point where he made all of the caravan vehicles armor plated. 

The car started with a jolt and a moment later was pulling away from the sand colored stone of the castle. Lance rested his forehead against the window and watched as his Grandmother and siblings all waved from the steps before disappearing behind the brush as they rounded a curve in the driveway. He sighed and moved his gaze over to Blaytz, who was just looking at him with a raised brow, “You okay?” 

Lance nodded, “Yeah. Just trying to mentally prepare myself for everything that’s going to happen.” 

Blaytz nodded back and crossed his arms, “I understand. But it’s something you already promised to do. At least your Father and King Alfor agreed with the terms that you and Prince Keith set about the no marriage talk thing.” 

“Yeah, but I still have a bad feeling about it.” 

The blue haired man only gave Lance a small smile, “Don’t sweat the small things. If worse comes to worse, excuse yourself from the table and go out to get some air. I’m sure your Father and King Alfor won’t fault you for it. And for all you know, Prince Keith is probably feeling the same way you are.” 

Lance couldn’t help the sigh that escaped his lips and turned to look out the window once more, “I guess. And we are only staying for two days so I suppose it’s not going to be that bad if this guy and I end up not liking each other.” 

“You are correct in that point.” 

They fell into a comfortable silence as Lance watched the landscape of his Kingdom pass by; he could see the ocean in the horizon and he wanted nothing more than to roll his window down and listen to the distant noise of the waves and let them calm his mind. But without it, his mind kept drifting to thoughts of Red Fire, and the Prince he would be meeting. 

Hopefully he wasn’t a jerk. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________ 

**SPECIAL SCENE**

After finishing his meal with his Grandparents, Lance’s Father entered into the dining hall with his Mother and Veronica behind him. When he saw Lance already at the table he gave his son a surprised look, “Lance, you’re already awake? I would have thought I would have to have Blaytz drag you out of bed and to the car at the last minute.” He glanced over at the former King and Queen before smiling slightly, “Ahhh, now I see. Thank you, Father, Mother, for waking him up and getting him out of bed without a fight.” 

Lance looked up at his Grandparents in shock, seeing the shit eating grin plastered on the old man's face, “Of course. We all know how he can be when he isn’t enticed by food or the beach.” 

Lance felt his eyes widen and he stood quickly, his chair scraping the floor under him, “ _Abuelo! Abuela!_ That’s not fair! You tricked me to get me up this early!” His Grandmother only smiled at him, “We did nothing of the sorts. I told you I wanted to see you and that was very true, and if my memory serves me right you were the one who said to come down and have breakfast together.” 

Lance opened his mouth to refute the statement, but he quickly shut it again when he realized that she was absolutely correct. He quietly sat back down and took a sip of his water, trying his best to ignore the laughs of his family. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, are people actually reading this? I'm lowkey kinda shocked.
> 
> Do you like the idea of "Special Scenes" at the end of each chapter?


	4. Travels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The two clueless Princes finally meet.
> 
> Also "The Untamed" has been controlling my life for the past few month and slightly inspired Keith in this chapter. 
> 
> And videos of male corset vests have invaded my tik tok and made me do it. 
> 
> Enjoy <3

Keith considered himself to be an easy-going person most of the time. He acted as he should in public as a member of the royal family (mostly), he did what was expected of him (mostly) and he did it all without making a fuss (mostly). Because he was adopted from  Daibazaal , many people within the Kingdom thought  Alfor was crazy for taking in not only one child from the once tyrant kingdom, but  _ two _ . People thought that Keith was going to be an unstable Prince – they thought he would bring embarrassment onto the royal family, and that he would end up being thrown back to  Daibazaal because  Alfor couldn’t handle him. The words Keith heard people speak when he was young had stuck with him for the last 9 years, and in his  mind he wanted to do nothing but prove them wrong; and he had for the most part. He proved to the people of Red Fire that he would be a great Prince and that, though he may look like he was constantly sucking on a lemon, Keith really did love the kingdom and its rich history.

But as Keith sat at Allura’s vanity, the older girls' hands pulling Keith’s thick black hair up and pinning it in places she deemed fit; he silently was cursing the old Red Fire royals who set in stone the dress codes for meeting members of other royal families and the occurring occasion for said meeting. “Oh Keith, stop picking at the sleeves. I know it’s not the most comfortable thing in the world but it’s tradition.”

The boy looked up at his adoptive sister, catching her eyes in the mirror and sending her a scowl, even though there was no real anger in his violet eyes, “That’s easy for you to say, Lura. You’re not the one wearing it.”

She only smiled and pulled a piece of his hair up a little harder than normal, making Keith wince slightly, “I may not be the one wearing it now, but I have before.  So stop complaining and stop picking at the sleeves.”

Keith just rolled his eyes before studying himself in the mirror. He didn’t understand why the eyeliner was necessary, but Allura had insisted that it would make his eyes ‘pop’ more...whatever that meant. The clothes he wore were a mix of red, black, white and gold – the black, high neck undershirt ended just below his  adams apple and the sleeves hugged his arms down to his wrists. He wore a heavy dark red open robe over the undershirt, the sleeves were loose and easily hung past Keith fingertips and the back was long enough where some of the material drug along the floor. The design on the robe was simple, but studded occasionally with red and gold gems and white detailing. It weighed on his shoulders and pretty much forced him to stand straight to keep his posture. He wore just a simple pair of black pants that hugged his legs entirely to tight and black boots. The clothes were not that bad in all honesty, but the weight of the robe was what was going to kill Keith if he was forced to stand for a long period of time. Allura pulled his hair tight again and he bit his lip to keep from wincing – if the weight of the robe didn’t kill him, then how tight Allura was pulling his hair was. She wasn’t even done and Keith could already feel the tale tell signs of a head ache developing. He knew that she had to do this for the hair pins and ornaments to stay, but did she really need to be  _ that  _ forceful with it?

After a few more minutes of torture she stepped back and studied her work, nodding to herself, “All done. You look fantastic, Keith.”

He scoffed slightly and stood, the weight of the robe causing him to rise slowly, “I better look damn near delectable with the pain you just put me through.” Allura only laughed and shook her head, “No need to be so crass with the adjectives.”

He gave her a small smile before looking over toward the balcony doors and walking out into the fresh air, inhaling  deeply and letting his mind clear. He had been sitting in the shed working on his hover bike when  Alfor and Allura had appeared and let him know that the  _ Aqua de  _ _ Oceano _ caravan had  entered into Red Fire territory and would be entering  Arus Valley within the next few hours. At  first he just blinked and raised an eyebrow at the two, questioning what it had to do with him. Allura had just smirked at him and had grabbed his wrist, towing him back into the castle and to her room and get him ready for the arrival of their guests.  Thus leading to him to where he was now – showered and all dressed to meet someone he really  didn’t want to.

“Lura, what if this guy is a total jerk?”

She came to stand next to him, placing her hands on the railing and inhaling deeply before giving him a sideways glance, “As I have told you multiple times Keith, I’ve met Prince Lance before. And while yes, he is a flirt and can be...mildly annoying sometimes to say the least, but he is anything but a ‘jerk’. He has a wonderful sense of humor and he is in all actuality very respectful. I have said it before and I will say it again – you have nothing to worry about. Just make sure that you behave yourself.”

Keith turned to the older girl and sent her an annoyed look, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Allura only giggled softly, “I don’t mean anything bad. Just don’t make up your mind to not like Lance before you meet him.”

He felt himself purse his lips in a small pout, but he said nothing to  retort the statement. He knew Allura was right and he  shouldn't demonize the other Prince before he got to know him, but there was part of him that was scared to get  to close to this person. He  didn’t want to risk feeling anything for the other man if all of this was going to be for nothing. He  didn’t want to risk being hurt and being left alone again. 

The two just stood in silence and watched the wind rustle the top of the trees, creating noises that almost went together like a song and helped Keith get lost in the view. But only a few moments later the sounds of loud engines joined in with the wind, making Keith and his sister look over toward the noise and see the outlines of two large Humvees exiting the thick tree line at the entrance of the valley, a thick cloud of dirt trailing behind them as they sped toward the gate of the castle. Keith could feel his stomach drop as he saw the emblem of  _ Aqua de  _ _ Oceano _ clearly etched into the hoods of both vehicles, and he could feel Allura’s eyes studying his reactions, “You can do this Keith. I know you can,” she reached over and placed her hand over his, letting some of her warmth sooth his nerves, “What is it that Shiro always says?”

Keith couldn’t help the small smile that pulled at his lips as he closed his eyes, “Patience yields focus.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Lance felt confined.

And not from sitting in the car for so long, but from the tree covered mountains and steep slopes that surrounded the Red Fire castle. They closed him in and loomed over him, making his heart race and long to just turn around and run back to the ocean. How could the Red Fire people live in such a confined place?

“Prince Lance? Are you alright?”

The tan man only nodded and continued to stare out the window, eyes constantly scanning for any sign of any kind of body of water. Even a pond would do at this point; he just needed to see water and his nerves would hopefully calm down. He could feel his leg bouncing up and down and he knew that  Blaytz would call his bluff, “Are you  positive ?”

Lance turned to the blue haired man and gave him a pleading look, “There is no water. How can they live without a beach?”

Blaytz scoffed and raised an eyebrow, “That’s what has you all twitchy? The fact that they don’t have a beach and not that you’re about to meet Prince Keith?”

“I’ve met dozens of royals, I’m fine meeting new people. But  Blaytz _ they have no beach _ ! How can they survive?”

The guard only rolled his eyes and shook his head. Lance knew he was being dramatic, but it was the only way he wouldn’t hear his heart drumming in his ears. He rolled down his window and slightly reveled in the clean air that filled his lungs, thankful that at least he could smell and feel some form of humidity in the air – maybe it would rain soon and Lance could listen to the sounds. He sighed and looked toward the Red Fire castle, studying the white walls and large pillars that surrounded the main building. The surface of the building was littered with carvings of lions and other creatures, and multiple balconies studded the exterior.

In all honesty it was a beautiful castle – there was just no fucking water.

The Humvees came to a stop in front of a large white gate, two large men in white and silver armor stood at attention to the sides. One of the men walked to the front car and talked to the driver for a moment before turning toward the car Lance was in.  Blaytz rolled down his window as the guard approached, “Is there a problem?”

The man only shook his head, “Not at all. We were expecting you, however King  Alfor wasn’t sure who exactly of the royal family was accompanying Prince Lance and the King, so standard  procedure we have to check.”

Blaytz only nodded and turned slightly to reveal Lance to the guard, “It is only the Prince, myself and the driver in this car.” 

The Red Fire guard raised an eyebrow, “And you are?”

Lance rolled his eyes as he recognized the flirty smirk that pulled across  Blaytz’s features, “My name is  Blaytz , personal guard to Prince Lance and fourth generation  _ Aqua de  _ _ Oceano _ protector.”  Blaytz paused for a moment to scan the guard up and down, “And you might be?”

The Red Fire guard only smiled, “My name is for me to know, and for you to probably ask around and find out. You seem like the determined type.” The man turned away from  Blaytz , who had a dumbfounded look and waved his hand toward the other guard, signaling for the gate to be opened.  Blaytz rolled up the window and sat back in his seat with his arms crossed and his lips pursed. Lance couldn’t help the scoff that escaped him and his guard gave him a sideways glance, “Not a word.”

The cars suddenly lurched forward through the now open gates, the dirt road turning to stone under the tires and letting the ride continue smoothly. It took about ten minutes of more driving until both vehicles pulled to a stop in front of the main entrance of the castle. Lance opened his door and climbed out into the open air, followed by  Blaytz and then his Father and Grandfather from the other car. His Father reached over his head and inhaled deeply, “Ah,  Arus Valley. I never grow tired of the mountain air and peaceful nature.”

Lance rolled his eyes for what seemed like the millionth time since they crossed into Red Fire territory, before he craned his neck to look up toward one of the many balconies and saw a flash of red disappearing into the connecting room. His eyes widen slightly, his interest peaked as to what the flash was. The sound of doors opening brought his attention back to the entrance of the castle where King Alfor stood in the now open doorway, a large smile on the  mans face, “King Mateo! King Donato! Always a pleasure to see you!”

Lance’s Father smiled back and took the few steps toward the  stair leading to the door, stopping and offering a low bow to the Red Fire King, “King  Alfor , thank you for having us, even though it’s only been  six short months it feels like a lifetime.”

The  white haired king smiled and strode down the steps to grasp the other King by the hand, giving it a firm shake. Lance stood to the side with  Blaytz and watched his Father and Grandfather interact with  Alfor , looking up occasionally toward the balcony where he had seen the red flash. “Lance! Come here and say hello!”

His Father beckoned him over, to which he slowly made his way toward them and gave King  Alfor a small smile and a low bow, “King Alfor, it’s good to see you again.” He gave Lance a gentle smile and bowed in return, “You as well, Prince Lance.” When he raised from the bow, he had his eyebrows pulled together in worry, but the smile still on his face, “To be honest with you Lance, I’m incredibly grateful that you accepted to do this. You’re Father and I both understand that you want no discussion of marriage and we respect that. I know Keith felt a little better when he heard that you wanted nothing of the sort as well, so I hope you both get along as friends.”

Lance smiled meekly at the King and nodded, “I hope so too...”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Keith watched as the two black Humvees came to a smooth stop in front of the castle doors, where  Alfor stood waiting to welcome the royals. He leaned against the railing of the balcony and inhaled deeply, trying to still his racing heart. Allura had attempted to give him one last pep-talk before she went back to the main library to find her own husband; she tried to tell him once more that Prince Lance was not a scary man, nor was he rude by any means. She made sure to reiterate that he was very flirtatious and could sometimes come off as cocky and annoying, but he was honestly a very sweet man who cared for his kingdom.

Keith couldn’t help but scoff a little when the door to one of the Humvees opened and revealed the current, very animated, King of  _ Aqua de  _ _ Oceano _ , King Mateo, and the former reign, King Donato; they both climbed out of the first car and the current King inhaled deeply before saying something Keith could not catch. Keith looked back at the second Humvee and he felt his breath get caught in his throat. How had he not seen  _ him _ get out of the car? The man was probably around his age, with tan skin and chocolate brown hair that was messily styled into small waves; straight legged black dress pants hugged his legs perfectly and a tucked in deep blue button up and black vest made his tall figure appear even taller. He wore a pinched expression as he looked over at the King and rolled his eyes before he looked up toward the balcony Keith currently stood on. Panic surged in his chest as he quickly ducked back into the room, silently hoping that the handsome man had not seen him. Keith could feel his cheeks flush with heat and he tried to convince himself that it was due to the heavy robe and not the man. He paced the room silently before he stopped just back in front of the glass doors,  _ Was that Prince Lance? _

Keith craned his neck to try and look out the window at the man again, just to see that he had moved and was currently standing in front of  Alfor . From looking at the  mans back, Keith could see he had broad shoulders and what had appeared to be a normal vest was actually corseted, based on the stitching running down the middle. Keith studied the way the man interacted with his Father; his mannerisms and the way  Alfor’s expression changed as he spoke to the other. He was so focused on watching the interaction that he didn’t hear the door open behind him and the footsteps approaching until he felt a presence behind him, making him turn and let out a small yelp, “Shiro! Could you make some noise next time? You scared the crap  outta me!”

His brother only smiled and raised an eyebrow, “I knocked three or four times and said your name when I opened the door. What were you looking at?”

Keith felt his face heat up, “N-Nothing! I wasn’t looking at anything!” He silently cursed the small tremor in his voice.

Shiro only gave him a knowing smirk and nodded, “Okay Keith, whatever you say. Now come on, we  gotta go.”

“Go where?”

“Where do you think? The  _ Aqua de  _ _ Oceano _ __ royals are here and we all need to greet them.”

Keith felt his stomach drop.   
_____________________________________________________________________________________

If Lance had to describe the inside of the Red Fire castle in one word, it would be  _ bright _ . 

The entire place was painted in whites, light blues, gold and the occasional splash of burgundy. Some of the pillars caught the sunlight through the window, causing the opalescent surface to shine and cast small colorful rays around the room. Compared to the burnt oranges and deep mahogany colors used in  _ Aqua de Oceano,  _ the sight was almost enough to hurt Lance’s eyes, but he remained stoic as he walked into the main foyer of the castle. 

“Allow me to welcome you all to Red Fire, and extend my staff’s help in anything you might need or require.” The King’s smile beamed as he looked toward the large stair case in the middle of the room, “Ah! Impeccable timing – let me have the rest of the Red Fire royals greet you,” he glanced back at Lance for only a moment and laughed, “Even though you already know most of them!”

Lance watched as Princess Allura descended the staircase, arm in arm with Lord  Lotor and a bright smile on her face as she looked at Lance. He couldn’t help the small tug at the corner of his mouth as he smiled back; when he was younger and the Red Fire royals would visit his Kingdom, he would always go around telling everyone he would marry Allura one day and how beautiful he thought she was. And while he still thought she was one of the most beautiful women on the continent, he had grown to love her much more as one of his dearest friends outside his own Kingdom. Behind her came Prince  Shirogane , walking between Curtis and Adam and creating a wall of thick masculinity. Lance had met Shiro a handful of times, and every time he was around the man he was inspired to do better and become someone who others can be proud of...not to mention that Shiro was the man who made Lance realize he wasn’t completely straight. The first time Lance had met him when he was sixteen, Lance only remembers thinking to himself that he would let Shiro crush his skull between his thighs and probably  _ thank him  _ for it.  Of course Lance never revealed this to anyone and never acted on this, but it made him think about himself until he came to the conclusion that he was a bisexual mess. 

“Now, Prince Lance,”  Alfor’s voice pulled him from his thoughts and he turned to the still smiling King, “Allow me to introduce my youngest son, Prince Keith.”

Lance looked back to the staircase and felt himself inhale sharply as the man began his descent from the upper floor. His skin was pale – almost like porcelain, and his dark hair contrasted the red jewels that adorned the pinned locks. His violet eyes reflected against the colors cast by the opal pillars causing them to almost glow. He walked slowly, and Lance suspected it probably had to do with the heavy looking red robe that trailed behind him and hung low off his shoulders, showing more of the skin tight black shirt he wore underneath. He looked as if he would be about the same height as Lance. He met the violet eyes for just a moment as he took the last step before ending on the landing next to Shiro, and he quickly averted his eyes to the floor in front of him. Lance could only describe him as ethereal in a sense, because the glow that surrounded the other Prince had Lance in almost a hypnotic state. He could not take his eyes off the man as the world shrank down to just the two of them.

“- ance .  _ Lance!” _

His name broke him from his trance and he jumped slightly before turning to look at  Blaytz and his Father, who both were looking at him with concerned expressions.  Blaytz leaned toward him and kept his voice quiet, “Are you okay? Introduce yourself to him.”

Lance blinked and swallowed the lump in his throat before turning back to the Red Fire Prince, who quickly looked away when Lance turned back toward him. Taking a deep breath, Lance took three steps forward and put himself in front of the  dark haired man. Violet eyes looked up to meet him and Lance found himself once again lost in the bright pools, studying the dark lashes that surrounded them and brushed against his cheeks every time he blinked. He tried to center himself quickly, pulling on a confident expression, “It’s very nice to meet you, Prince Keith. My name is Prince Lance McClain of  _ Aqua de Oceano _ . I hope we can become...” he faltered a moment trying to think of the correct words, before giving the other man small smile and feeling a brows furrow slightly, “...Good friends.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

** SPECIAL SCENE **

Keith watched as Allura began to walk down the stairs with Lotor, her arm hooked around his and her light blue dress trailing behind her. He was trying to focus on anything else other than his own hammering chest to distract himself from what he was about to do. He wasn’t ready to do this. He wasn’t prepared to see the other man up close after seeing how good he looked from far way. He was  gonna make a fool of himself somehow and ruin all this. Not that he wanted this - because he didn’t! He wanted to be out in the shed working on his hover bike and would like to be able to breath  _ freely  _ at some point in time.

Shiro was next to descend the staircase, Adam and Curtis at his sides and each of them looking like they were carved from the same godly block of cream cheese. Before Shiro began walking, he sent Keith one last bright smile and a thumbs up, like it would really help him. If  anything it just made him panic more and his heart race. He couldn’t do this. He was  gonna fall down the stairs and end up not only embarrassing himself, but  Alfor and the rest of his family as well. His robe started to feel like it weighed more and more by the moment, so he let the fabric fall off his shoulders and to his elbows to try and relieve some of the pressure. 

“Now, Prince Lance,”  Alfor’s voice pulled him from his thoughts and he turned to stand at the top of the staircase, “Allow me to introduce my youngest son, Prince Keith.”

When Keith looked up, he instantly met the  blue eyed gaze of the man he saw outside and felt his legs turn to mush. 

Oh yeah, he was fucked. 


End file.
